


king in waiting

by afujosh



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:47:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29586057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afujosh/pseuds/afujosh
Summary: uhhh idk yet ;-;





	1. Chapter 1

Oswald walked out on the deck, standing in the light as he disdainfully glared at the sun whilst it flared right back. He wasn't dressed formally currently, which was the least of his problems seeing that his younger sister, Veronica, was sunbathing in what one could only call her undergarments. His parents also sat about in the sun, letting their skin burn instead of soak up sun.

He rolled his eyes, grabbing a large hat before occupying the seat to the left of his mother. She turned towards him from the novel that had been keeping her busy.

"You only come out when it is almost time to get ready," she tutted softly, squinting at him through the sun. He smiled falsely before sighing loudly.

"I personally didn't want to shrivel up out in the heat," Oswald responded rhetorically, throwing his head back every now and then to dodge the burning.

His mother laughed, Veronica joining in shortly. "I see, brother; you had to protect your assets, hm?" Veronica replied listlessly with a hint of sardonic humor.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," He commented, muttering under his breath. He glanced longways over towards his father, who somehow was holding today's spread of the newspaper from back in Pars. Royalty worked in unknown ways.

"Look here, honey," his father said gruffly to Oswald's mother as she leaned forward. "Stocks in that one production company have dropped drastically. That won't be fun to return to," he murmured, scanning the paper for more information.

"I'm sure my sister could handle things for a few weeks, Charles," his mother said soothingly, gripping his arm as she read along with him. I ignored their talk of politics. Although they were technically all on a business trip, it was one to most definitely enjoy.

They were headed to Agnia, the richest island nation on the surface of the Earth. With luxuries provided to each and every citizen, it was nearly impossible to never have money there. Another reason why it was so rich is because of its exclusive tourism, allowing many of the rich and noble to stay for a few days, watching said nobles wash their money down the drain each time they come along.

The business part of this matter had a bit of a master plan, though. His parents, mainly is father, were going to use him as a front to try and gain territory on the island since they were a more notable family line than many others. It was his plan to say hello, a short few phrases, and spend time relaxing during a well-earned break.

Tipping his head to view the horizon, he began to see a sliver of lush, green peaks from the sea line. He poked at his mother, pointing out into the distance. "And there it is; Agnia, in all her glory." As the boat kept moving, the peaks grew in height and the island spanned out, fanning gracefully over the ocean.

"It is most likely time for all of us to get ready. And I'm talking to you, Veronica," his father said, pushing himself upwards. Somehow, there was no trace of redness in his features. "I shall be on my way. Wendy, are you coming?" He asked my mother before she nodded, following suit.

Veronica groaned, pushing herself up. Her back looked like the depths of hell. She patted it gingerly, grimacing slightly. "This should be fun," she muttered, punching me in the shoulder when I laughed at her. I went in once I was alone on the deck, going back into my rooms.

The room itself was as good as one would be getting to being on a slightly enclosed ship. With the main accent being wood, it was terribly easy to keep clean and organized. He drew heated water out of the pipes as he shuffled through his closet for his 'first impression' clothes.

He pulled out a green suit which contained any medals that Oswald had earned after turning eighteen, which Veronica claimed would compliment my complexion, whatever that meant. He ran his hands through his rat's nest before brushing out the curls.

He immediately sank into the tub afterwards, plunging his head beneath the surface. His hair now felt like a dirty mop on the top of his head. Oswald scrubbed all of his dead skin off until his skin turned pink and patchy. Stepping out, he made a note to try his best not to fall on the wood, however practical it may be.

Once he finished drying off and had completed the process of thorough hygiene, he shrugged on his clothes: white linen shirt, jacket, pants, socks, boots, medals, sash, and lastly, his circlet. As his parents both wore full-fledged crowns to show rank, Oswald was assigned a circlet to show he was their successor. Veronica, claiming to always be left out, wears head and body jewelry all the time, although he was sure their parents would be a bit more strict, since it was their first impression, after all.

Oswald stepped out and assessed himself in a full-body mirror, making sure that every lace, hair, and thread was in place. After putting on a spritz of perfume, he headed back outside, greeted by harsh, salty air.

His father was already outside. He wore his military outfit, a red jacket with white slacks and a black sash compared to Oswald's white one. Medals covered the entire front of him. His crown rose about three inches high with expensive metals and jewels embedded within to give the headpiece a certain authority to it. His father turned when he noticed Oswald come out.

"You were quicker than expected," he laughed heartily.

"I'm not as bad as those two; if I were, it would be highly concerning, no doubt," Oswald said, shivering in fake animosity. His father grinned, shaking his head as he kept his eyes out of the sun. Agnia has come much closer as if it were in arms reach. Finally, his mother came out in a beautiful blue that went against what his father was wearing perfectly. Shortly after his mother, Veronica came in a long purple gown, with no headwear. She took the seat next to him.

"I wonder what they'll really look like," she pondered aloud. " I've only heard rumors, but supposedly they have dark skin and even darker hair, but with, say, blue or green eyes, as an example. Wouldn't that look amazing?" She asked rhetorically, thumbing at her own blonde hair and inspecting her light skin. "They must look awe-some," she repeated, eyes steadying on the horizon.

"So," Veronica continued. "You think you're gonna score anything while we're here?" She asked, nudging him. "All I know is that I plan to snag a fine piece of ass, dammit," she exclaimed passionately. "But what about you, bro? Any nice ass? Possibly even your ass?" He swatted at her as she giggled mercilessly.

"Hm... looks like you do have plans," she continued, looking at him from beneath her eyebrows, which may be the creepiest thing Oswald has seen yet. She continued to laugh but was cut short when the boat came to a sudden stop— or more like a very slow float until they hit the dock.

The people that Veronica had described lined the peer now, all dressed scantily clad. Oswald didn't look at any of them directly, fearful he might flush at their dress. All of this seemed so new.

They all had tanned skin and long, black hair, even the men. And they all had light eyes, whether it was blue, green, or grey. Their colorful eyes looked up at them curiously. His parents stepped back, waiting, in turn, to step out of the boat. Suddenly, a look of remembrance passed over his father's face.

"Son?" He asked rhetorically, looking over to Oswald. "Don't forget that the prince and princess are of betrothing age. There may be many random young men and women, but you mustn't tamper with them," he said, eyes dark. Veronica rolled her eyes as Oswald nodded, but he could tell she had tensed.

"Hey, Oz?" Veronica asked, leaning over for privacy. "Are you gonna try any bull?"

He shook his head, albeit hesitantly. She nodded. "Good. I knew for sure I'm gonna bag someone."

He pushed her away. "A bit too much information, sister dearest." She smiled amicably before turning back to the people below, watching them with interest. Oswald sighed inwardly, moving away from the deck to stand beside his parents.

"So, when should they be giving out the signal?" I asked them. His mother had been scanning the land behind the dock, possibly waiting for someone or something.

"The royal family should be arriving to greet us soon, son," she said distractedly, still gazing out at the open plateau. He also decided to stare out into the open field that had slowly developed into a flat road. Slowly, a group of horses appeared to the left and filtered in, the people on the dock immediately going to the sides.

The men and women that had gotten off of their horses were ethereal. They had on metals that were able to showcase them but also protect all vitals. The women's hair was much longer than the regular islanders, swaying past their hips. The men had their hair shorter, though. Possibly for combat, whilst the women stayed as commanders.

Just as the thought had crossed Oswald's head, three women had emerged from the group with hair cut to their shoulders, held back in coils of metal. His eyes were suddenly caught by an older man and woman who walked on arm in arm with exaggerated capes and headpieces on.

Oswald then turned to the two younger women go to their left, both with the same short cut. He also turned to a young man to the right, who had also been looking at him, staring. Oswald looked away first. His parents then waved politely before going to the exit of the ship. The sequence was his father, his mother, Oswald, and last was his sister.

They all exited formally, and although it had been obvious, the line of men and women from before were the royal family, the parents, and three children. As reported, the king and queen were named Angel and Serena, the daughters in order of oldest to youngest were Rose and Violeta, and the son was Tomás.

As they approached them, the king and queen of Agnia smiled and came forward, dodging the hands held out from his parents and coming in for a relentless hug. Oswald gave Veronica a sideways glance, noticing her trying to contain her shock. He couldn't help but give a silent chuckle at the helpless situation before him.

"Hello, and welcome to our humble abode," Serena said, her arm sweeping to indicate the miles of white beach stretching both ways. Angel just nodded in agreement; apparently a man of little words. As the kings and queens conversed silently, Oswald took the chance to size up Agnia's heirs. Upon further notice, along with Tomás, the women had shaved off the bottom hair off of their heads. It seems the women were prepared for the field.

The rulers broke away to their respective families. Agnia's rulers, the Lavishes, then walked up to the horses, signaling their own jockeys to pull up the Lockhart's, or Pars rulers, temporary vehicles.

The ride on the way was a silent one. The main conversation being had was between Oswald and Veronica, and for noting how much they normally speak to each other, this could be simply named small talk. As time went on and the hill's incline became steeper, a white utter fortress came into view on a shaved piece of what seemed to be the islands second largest mountain, the flat of land running miles in all directions except front.

The castle contained Island-Pacific detail that one would only find in island nations, their marble and limestone etched perfectly with every scratch of the pick. Two towers stretched high above the sky with terraces one could barely make out. On the front steps, one could admire moderate and continental architecture with the styling of the columns that kept the massive balcony afloat. The Lavishes lead them in, the family breaking up into parts as they accompanied the Lockhart's and their servants to their rooms. Somehow, Oswald just had to be paired with Tomás, the son.

He tried not to be intimidated, but it was hard when the person you were trying to beat happened to be 6'2 tall wall of metal and flesh not interested in anything else apart from what's running through his mind. Oswald just kept his gaze forward until Tomás halted in front of a pair of brown double doors.

"This shall be your temporary abode. Please take use of the extremities that we have to offer. When you have become familiar and more comfortable on something other than your Parsian clothing, take the first right and next left, unless your nanny plans on staying with you," Tomás said, turning on his heel and leaving hurriedly. Oswald didn't know exactly how he should've taken all of that, but he classified it under either hostility or hormones, albeit they come hand in hand. He sent his maid away, flipping back onto the the bed before being devoured by the downed comforter. Checking his watch, it was only eleven in the morning. He jumped when he heard a knock on his door.

He opened it, seeing Veronica at the entrance. She pushed herself in the rest of the way, flopping down onto his bed the way he had but a moment ago. She sighed angrily into the comforter.

"I'm bored, Oz," she said listlessly. "I heard from the daughters that walked me to my room that we don't have to actually be ready by three." Oswald thought back to how on edge Tomás had been before pushing the thought away.

"What would you like to do, sister?" He asked breezily, leaning onto the bed. She rolled over, new excitement in her eyes.

"Brother," she said. "Let's go to the beach."

I groaned, throwing myself onto the bed in agony. "Veronica. We will have time for that. I absolutely do not want to go back to the sea when we've been floating on top of it for about a day."

She pushed herself up, brows furrowed and fingers threaded together. "Oh, don't be such a debbie-downer, Oz," she said. "You already have Agnian clothing in that closet over there, so suck it up and put it on, dammit. I won't leave until you do," she said resolutely, folding her arms.

He sighed, pushing himself off of the bed and striding toward the closet and throwing open the doors. Inside were many linens and neck plates studded with pretty stones and minerals. He pulled out some pants and one of the neck plates, tossing them on the bed. "Is that enough?"

"No," she said, getting up and going Oswald at the closet. She pulled out a pair of white shorts and put them together with the pants. "The pants are worn over the shorts, and you take the pants off to swim," she said teacherly. I complained inwardly before I grabbed everything and locked myself in the bathroom. The room was very much structured like the outside of the castle, which was regal in its own way.

After Oswald has changed, he took a look at himself in the wide mirror plastered to the wall. He looked completely different. He, one, had skin exposed, which was a feat in itself but the clothes on him felt completely foreign. The neck plate was able to make his neck longer and his shoulders wider, and the pants were able to cinch his waist with its tie. He slipped on some slippers before exiting, finding Veronica having left, most likely to change as well.

Oswald sat on the bed, ruffling through the bedside drawers. Calendar, Agnian bible, pens and paper... ah, a paperback novel! He immediately grabbed it out, only to be let down that it was in Agnian. Many people here were bilingual or trilingual to the main language of the world, Parsian. Sadly, books cannot speak more than one language at a time. Oswald was aimlessly flipping through the novel when he heard the second knock on his door today.

He stood up, ready to get going. "Veronica, are you finally—" Oswald stopped short, looking up to find the one and only Tomás at his entrance. "Uh— ehem, sorry, how may I help you?" He said, suddenly fumbling for words, although it seems as if Tomás hadn't heard him. He was assessing Oswald, looking at him up and down. When Oswald coughed lightly, Tomás' gaze flicked up at him.

"Our formal meeting and discussion will begin at three. Those clothes, as you hopefully may know, aren't suitable," he said shortly before quickly stalking away. Oswald popped his head out into the corridor, watching Tomás walk off.

Just as Oswald sat back down, the third and hopefully final knock sounded at his doors. He opened it, trying to contain his annoyance while Veronica stood, clutching two white towels.

"Are you ready to go to the beach?" Veronica asked, already walking down the hallway.


	2. Chapter 2

The beach was, in all honesty, marvelous. Saying the sand was fine was an understatement, for it felt like clouds beneath someone's feet. Palms swayed in the wind towards the coast, with locals lazing in hammocks or under the sun. The water was still, the breeze gentle enough not to disturb the water's equilibrium. As Oswald and Veronica walked onto the beach, they got undeniable stares. He just kept his eyes down to the sand, raising them when they got close to the water.

"You ready, Ozzy?" Veronica asked excitedly, already taking off her linen pants. He ignored any embarrassment he had felt, going against his modesty and letting his own pants fall. He took off the neck plate carefully and set it down beside his pants and shoes, watching as Veronica waded into the water torrentially, falling when it had hit a deep spot. Oswald held a fist to his mouth, trying not to laugh.

He went in after her, taking his time as he walked in, watching his feet through the clear waters. He looked up, watching Veronica trying to spit up the water she had inhaled a second ago. As Oswald began to laugh, Veronica caught him in the act and pushed him without notice, saltwater filling his nose. He immediately resurfaced, trying to blow the water out even though all that remained was the salt. Now it was Veronica's turn to laugh.

As they both stopped laughing at each other for what seemed like a while, they both ended up floating up on the water. As time floated by, waves began to roll in as the sun moved. Suddenly, something slippery touched Oswald's foot. He jumped, quickly sitting up to discover a bottle-nose at his feet. He suddenly jumped out of the water, scared shitless. Veronica chuckled, coming closer to the dolphin. She petted it as it frolicked in the waves, clicking on happily. Oswald, beginning to calm down, jumped yet again when he felt a hand on his back.

"Hey, now, boy, there's no reason to be afraid," an older man said from behind him. His skin was darker than most, due to his age. He was wearing dark linens, with a necklace made of shark teeth hanging around his neck. Behind him, the beach was practically deserted, it was so late.

"It's just a dolphin. The thing's harmless," he continued, not removing his hand. Suddenly, Oswald began to feel something off about the whole situation. "My name is Jackson, but everyone just calls me Butch," he said. Just as Oswald went to pull away, Butch grabbed his hand. "Here, come over by the dolphin," he said, tugging Oswald along. He pulled him into the water, and when he had the chance, Oswald flashed a look of concern to Veronica. She just raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"Now, he won't bite. Here," the man said, putting Oswald's hand onto the mammal, petting it. Oswald nodded and pulled away.

"Uhm, we actually have somewhere to be shortly, so we must—"

"Now, now," Butch intercepted. "I'm sure it can wait." Veronica had been out of earshot, continuing to play with the dolphin. Oswald had successfully put on his pants when Butch wrapped a hand around Oswald's waist. He immediately went tense, staring at the ground.

"Now, now," he repeated, his face closer to his ear than before. "Maybe we should—"

"Oswald," a voice said lowly from in front of him. He looked up in relief, only to find one of the people he'd rather not see at the moment. Butch looked at Tomás with smugness and surprise.

"I didn't think you were one to be involved with tourists, Prince," Butch said slowly, his hand gripping tightly against Oswald. Veronica finally got out of the water.

"He is a personal guest," Tomás gritted out between his teeth. "Butch."

Butch kept still before letting his hand go slack. Veronica looked at him, but Oswald looked away quickly. He stayed still as he watched Butch fall off into the distance before sinking down to his knees, wiping his face. He shivered.

"Thank you," Oswald said listlessly, and when he heard no response, he looked up to find Tomás walking off as well.

Veronica looked between the three of us. "What the hell was all that about?"

************

Tomás had walked off, trying to contain his anger. That damned Butch character again, the damned pedophile. He hadn't been concerned with him since both of the Parsian heirs were quite mature, but apparently, Butch was put off by the blonde hair and pale skin combo Parsian's normally displayed.

When he finally got back to his rooms, Tomás collapsed on his loveseat, pushing his hair back and tying it in a low ponytail. He sighed, walking to his closet clumsily and pulling out some of his most expensive clothing. He had heard the son, Oswald, mutter a phrase of thanks as he had walked away, but Tomás hadn't bothered stopping for such trivial matters. Butch was a perverted man that somehow got away with criminalistic ordeals with many younger people, especially males. Just thinking about previous cases was enough to make his blood boil.

As he changed, he debated whether he should speak to the prince before they had their formal meeting. There were going to be some unexpected topics during their debate, and just for the mere sake of telling him to watch himself better.

While Tomás exited his rooms, he spotted a blonde on the public balcony. Oswald was standing by the railings leaning out to examine the coast, clearly lost in thought. Tomás fumbled when he saw him push off the railings and walk towards him, or rather towards his rooms. Tomás slipped back into his rooms, exiting yet again as he went to go to Oswald's rooms.

He knocked on the doors, the door opening shortly. Oswald's eyebrows shot up, but before that he stepped aside, holding the door open. Tomás walked in, sitting down in an armchair rigidly.

"How can I help you?" Oswald asked, standing in front of his closet and pulling out Parsian clothing.

"Wear Agnian clothing. It will settle better with the king and queen," Tomás chided lightly, watching Oswald quickly put back his own clothing. The silence continued to ensure as Oswald kept busy around the room. As he gathered everything to get dressed and ready, he finished up and leaned against the bed. He still wore the clothes from the beach, the neck plate already wiped and sitting in the closet.

"...Thank you for earlier today," Oswald had said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "I appreciate it very much."

"Jackson is nothing but a perverted and pedophilic criminal," Tomás said resolutely, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Please be careful of many of the islanders that you don't know here. You have to be wary. People won't take you with a pinch of salt anymore," he continued.

Oswald looked conflicted but stayed silent. "Well, thanks anyway," he said under his breath. "Is that all?"

Tomás cleared his throat. "Well, what I had wanted to talk about originally was what would be brought up during the meeting shortly," he said. "There may be an unexpected topic or topics brought up—"

"Please don't worry about it," Oswald interrupted. "I'm sure whatever it is, I will be able to handle it. That's what I'm here for, right?" He said, smiling softly to himself. Tomás sat silently, studying him. He pushed himself to stand, and Oswald turned back to look at Tomás.

Tomás stepped closer to him, easily forcing Oswald to have to look up at him. "I do... truly wish that you know what you're doing, Oswald," he said roughly. He then turned to Oswald's closet and pulled out a red shirt and one of Agnia's own crowns and placed it upon Oswald's head. "At least," he continued. "I hope you do."

There was suddenly a loud knock at the door before Oswald's sister, Veronica, barged in on their short meeting. She stood in the doorway, staring at them both before her eyes widened and stared at Oswald.

"Ahem," she said as she backed up slowly. "I'll excuse the two of you to continue whatever you were doing."

Tomás shook his head. "No, please stay. Rather, I'll take my leave." He turned back to Oswald. "I'll be seeing you later, I presume," he said lightly before taking his leave. He glided past Veronica, shuttling the door behind him.

***********

Veronica stood still in the doorway which Tomás had just walked out of. She was staring round-eyed at her brother. She stood still, trying to absorb the heavenly conflict that had been created before she had stormed inside. Tomás' knee had been... and the crown... oh my lord. No way... no way. Her brother with a prince--but wait... two princes? Oh, they would have to fight all odds, being two male heirs of royalty that love each other, or no, wait, they could adopt, perhaps, a beautiful son from the more southern regions of the world--

"Veronica? Are you even listening to me?" her brother demanded, his voice suddenly vading in. She rolled her eyes but excited nonetheless. "Nothing happened, do you understand?"

She shook her head abruptly. "All I understand is that my brother was being gay with a certain Crown Prince and that you'll probably have to adopt," she chortled, jumping onto his bed. "So, how much? I mean, we've only been here less than a day, but--"

"VERONICA!" her brother said, his voice raised as he covered hers. "Don't talk about that stuff so lightly, damn you," he said, removing his hand from her mouth after she licked it. "You are so gross, sometimes," he muttered to himself. Veronica only laughed more. "Here, I'm kicking you out. I have to get ready, anyway," he said, dragging her out.

"No, wait, I can help you pick out what to wear and--" The door was shut in her face before she could finish her sentence. She fell against the door and sighed happily. Oh, young love.

***********

Oswald rubbed at his face, trying to scrape the redness off of himself. He hadn't expected the sudden closeness from Tomás, neither said closeness being interrupted by none other than his sister. He sighed to himself dramatically before falling onto his bed. He glanced at the Agnian clothing before raising a hand to feel the crown atop his head. He hadn't expected that, either. He got up against all better judgment and began to get ready. Stepping gingerly into a hot bath he had prepared for himself, he soaked, letting any tension or stress leave him, for if not a moment.

As he stepped out, he let himself take a moment before focusing on the dinner and the meeting. He suddenly felt a need to know what Tomás was going to say. He bit on his lip as he dried himself off. He knew that it wasn't tradition here to wear any makeup on men, but he felt that he needed some sense of home with the new Agnian way of clothing and dress. He slid a line of gold under his eyes, put two red dots beside both eyes, and put on a lip balm before walking out.

He slid on silky linen and body chains before using the crown that Tomás had given him, putting it back on. It forced the ends of his hair to curl. He fixed on sandals before glancing at himself in the mirror. He looked strange. He shrugged off the feeling and walked out of his rooms. The terrace hallway was probably his favorite part of the palace. He stopped by the round balcony once again, feeling the wind blow through his hair momentarily before facing the facts and confronting the meeting that was to be held. Both entire families were to attend, much to his father's dismay, who had wanted to keep it private; kings and future kings only.

He opened the door to the conference hall gingerly, realizing that he was the last person to arrive. He nodded, embarrassed, before taking a seat next to his father and adjacent to Veronica. She wiggled her eyebrows at him before glancing at Tomás. Before Oswald could help it, he glanced at Tomás, who had been studying his eyes. Oswald quickly looked away, putting his full attention to Angel.

"Now that everyone is here," he said, smiling at Oswald. "Let us begin."

"Are you certain we need such a crowd?" Oswald heard his father whisper to Angel. Angel looked perturbed but conceded.

Angel and Oswald's father sent out everyone but themselves, Tomás, and him. He folded into himself, suddenly put off by the tense air in the room. He tried his best to keep a straight back as Angel proceeded with the meeting.

"Now, this is something of importance, mainly pertaining to your boy right here, Charles." The King of Agnia angled his body so that he faced Oswald. "Son, you are close to inheriting your country; just around six months, I believe." Oswald nodded slowly. "I have a proposition to make to the both of you but please know with all due respect that the only opinion I want is going to be from your son, Charles." His father's brows drew together.

"Oswald, I want you to be the first king and personnel of a royal family to legally own and claim land here on Agnia in hopes of landing the same in Pars," he said, is father growing increasingly excited and aggravated.

"Why, if I may ask," Oswald's father gritted between his teeth. "Are you only now making the proposition?"

Angel looked at Oswald's father with slight contempt before becoming straight-faced. "Charles, please understand that you personally have history with our country, and young Oswald here has great appeal to some of our politicians from former and current alliances and friendships."

"So you plan on manipulating him for your plan?" Oswald's father asked Angel skeptically, his anger leaking into his voice.

"No," Tomás said, sitting up. "Because I proposed the idea," he said abruptly. Oswald looked up to him quickly, his surprise swimming in his eyes. Tomás stared at Charles. "Sir, this is in my best intention. Within a month, I will be king. My father will recede his position and bequeath it to me. I have plans for this country, and it involves rather a new face for a new alliance," he said, head bowed.

Tension hung in the air. Tomás sat back down, back relaxed against his armchair. Oswald could tell his father was fuming. For nearly the last decade, he has slowly made strong ties with Agnia, and none of the benefits would fall during his title.

"And," Angel said, turning back to Oswald. "You will have time to decide. This isn't something to be done now. Now, let's go to the dining room and have dinner, yes? I'm sure Veronica should be excited," Angel said, winking at Oswald. He tried to laugh along but his throat was thick with silence. He nodded instead, standing to go to the dining room. The others followed suit.

He immediately found a seat next to Veronica, which he plopped down into. He sighed, and Veronica raised a brow at him. His father sat at the head seat besides Oswald and Tomás took the one from across. Tomás gave him a look before he turned and conversed with his own sister.

Oswald turned to Veronica, who had been looking between them and their exchange. She touched both her index fingers repeatedly before I smacked her hands. She stifled a laugh as Angel tapped a fork to his glass.

"Alright, everyone, let our festivities begin." Surveying the table, everyone was dressed to perfection, although it seemed Oswald was the only one that took on the Agnian fashion in his family. Veronica scooted closer to him, trying to avoid conversation with the other sister.

"So tell me about what happened exactly," she said breezily, sipping her wine. He wiped at his face, almost forgetting he had any trace of makeup on.

"I think I should probably tell you about it later," he sighed.

She giggled. "I'm fine with that. Just more invasions of your privacy," she chortled. Oswald ignored her, although beginning to wonder if he should just drop the bomb.

It all seemed fake. Oswald didn't feel particularly excited or anxious, just nonchalant. It all still felt like his fathers decision, as if it was none of his concern. He thought about the prospect; being the first person ever to bear claim to Agnia.

Agnia was well sought out by many consumers of different common products since they never traded or used dirty methods to access their resources. They had a large surplus of many things such as exotics foods, coal, and oil because of there strict trade regulations. They also have a large untapped aquifer underneath the ground that people wanted to access for many different reasons, that main being because it was untapped.

Agnia also bared many great people and thinkers. Although Oswald hadn't seen there minds at work, Agnia were a couple years ahead then many other nations of their time. Their army and military force was also magnificent, having to defend from so many other countries trying to take Agnia over.

Oswald shook his head, still feeling his father's aggravation rolling out in waves. It wasn't his fault. It's not like he could have done anything about it.

He turned to Veronica, who been trying to chat up Tomás and who refused to play into it. Ignoring Tomás and his curiosity, Oswald poked her, grabbing her attention.

He leaned in and whispered what had happened. She choked on her wine.


	3. Chapter 3

Perspective of Violeta:  
The dinner itself was purely adequate. The royals of Pars wouldn't know the difference since it was completely new to them, but judging by the demure looks on her family's face as they are, it was clear that there was a consensus.

She stayed quiet unless was asked a question; she didn't want to draw to much attention to herself. She ate silently, praying that she could get out of there sooner rather than later. Sitting at a table with Parsians was sickening.

She sipped at water, thoughts whirling around in her head. Slowly but surely, she had begun devising a plan.

Violeta was the youngest of the three. She got the least recognition, and was told blatantly she held no real responsibility within their family. When she had first heard that from her father at a younger age, she had had no idea what to do with that information. As time passed on, she had made it her mission to fully prove him wrong, her sister wrong, and her brother wrong. The only person she could truly count on anymore was her mother.

Her mother had always been defending her from her fathers torment of questions and merciless curiosity. Although she had nothing to offer the royal blood line, she could not act freely.

Put in short, he thought of her as a political pawn to use in a marriage scheme.

She had vowed to herself she would do all that she could to stray away from what her father and her brother wants of Agnia. Although they see a future of compromise with many other prosperous nations, such as Pars, she has a different plan that she had finally enacted.

The only thing that could go wrong is Tomás finding out.

The thing was, that he may just be catching on.

***********

Veronica ate moderately, mostly focusing on everyone in the room (although she was enjoying teasing Oz). Since the younger sister wasn't there whenever Veronica had seen Tomás, she hadn't noticed the tension and calculating looks they would give each other sometimes.

It was kinda weird, not gonna lie.

She kept eating, watching the heat waves roll off of her father as he chatted lowly with her mother, Oswald looking particularly miserable. She gave his knee a squeeze before watching her father again.

Oz had told her what had happened; with the meeting, the offer, who proposed it, the significance of it, and who was to ask it. At this point, she could only really feel pity for her brother.

Of course, being the Crown Prince has it's obvious luxuries, but not being the Crown anything gives you looser reins to actually do things. Unlike being shackled to Mr. Angry Pants over there.

She snorted to herself, watching Oswald raise an eyebrow. She snorted again. He flicked her arm. She pinched the loose skin on his hand. He stepped on her foot. She touched her fingers together. Oz snorted.

By now, it was clear that the other "children" in the dining hall noticed their behavior, but she didn't mind it, both kings and queens speaking rapidly to one another. When she looked up, Tomás caught her eye. She shrugged and stepped in his foot.

He jumped in his seat, looking between Oz and Veronica. Oswald hadn't noticed it at all, sipping at his wine, while Veronica looked the other way and pointed at Oswald. Tomás snorted and stepped on Veronica's foot back. Oh, now it was a match.

She was it's about to fully stomp on Tomás when Angel stood up. "Well, now, everyone, it seems that dinner has been formally served and has now been finished. You may all go back respectively to your rooms or venture out, if you may like," he said, grabbing Serena's hand and leading her out of the room. Rosa was close on their tail.

Veronica's parents followed suit, her mother placing a hand on Oswald's head and her father grunting at them both before taking their leave. Abruptly, Violeta pushed her chair out and stomped out of the room.

Taking advantage of Tomás' distraction, she brought her foot down on top of his with a mighty force, causing him to clench his jaw from feeling the heel dig in. She laughed to herself as Oswald was about to chastise, but noticed it was Tomás in the room rather than anyone else. The torment of politics.

Just as Veronica stood to take her leave, Oswald pulled her back down. "No, no, no, we have some talking to do," he said, dragging her to her feet along with him. Tomás stood as well.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" He asked suddenly. She felt warmth spread through her chest as she glanced between them excitedly.

"Yes, why not," Veronica answered for Oswald. "Spice up the conversation a little bit, eh?" She said before walking out, the both of them on her heels. She giggled silently to herself.

***********

Oswald followed his sister, watching her stride warily. Tomás took a spot behind Oswald, so it was hard to watch him for any tells. It most definitely caught him off guard when Tomás volunteered himself to come with them. Veronica didn't seem short of ecstatic, damn her.

In the end, Veronica had led them all to Oswald's rooms. He sighed, unlocking the door with a spare that one of the maids had left him after the beach. He swung open the door, holding it out for Veronica to catch before making his way in, sitting on the duvet. Veronica jumped on after him, Tomás taking a seat on one of the chairs.

"So," Oswald started. "What's this for again?"

"Well, brother," his sister began. "It was originally for strategy, but now that we have dear Tomás with us, I don't exactly think we can, now, can we?"

"Well," Tomás interrupted. "I would love it if we could." He spoke slowly. "I would like to talk about the pointers I was going to, previously," he said to Oswald. He shook off the memory. "I have something I need to talk about, personally."

Oswald nodded.

"I know that you probably aren't going to make any decision without your fathers opinion on my negotiation with you; that's apparent. But, I need you to decide in favor, not against it. The thing is, as much as I do know our defense is strong, there are weak points in it. The unrivaled loyalty they give us."

"And that's a bad thing?" Veronica asked.

"Not necessarily, but in this situation, yes. I didn't want to bring it up so early, but I feel like I have a chance now. I believe that there is a mole in the palace," he said warily, taking off his headpiece.

Oswald didn't quite believe it, but Veronica was clearly intrigued.

"Who?" Veronica asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Should I be disclosing this information?" Tomás asked, his eyes going back and forth between Oswald and Veronica.

"Absolutely."

"Probably."

"Well," Tomás said, his voice lowering. "I can't tell you before you agree to this negotiation. Do you, Oswald?"

Oswald gulped, but nodded in confirmation. He felt like he had bit off more than he could chew in the last few hours.

"I believe that it's—"

"Violeta?" Veronica asked, putting wait on her arms to lean back. Tomás' eyes widened. "It was quite obvious. You're lucky everyone but I was quite put off by everything tonight. I mean, our parents and Oz with the negotiation plans, Rosa with that security guard she kept glancing towards, and then you, of all—"

"That's enough," he said harshly. "Don't mention anything about Rosa to anyone," he said blankly. "But yes, you're right," he continued. "I believe she's working with a faction of international pirates. At one pointed I intercepted a letter she was receiving about a location and time. I went to said location at said time and found her conversing with one of the fishermen that supply the royal family's food supply. She was quite conspicuous, to be honest," he said, sighing. He ran a hand through his hair.

Veronica ribbed at her chin. "It makes perfect sense," she said, shrugging.

"How, if I may?" Tomás asked through his teeth.

"Consider her position. Obvious she feels controlled by her parents but still left alone enough to be jealous," she said. Oswald turned to her, but she punched him in the arm. "Not you, big bro. Look at the shit I'm a part of with you. Alliances and deals. Sexual conduct and politics. Don't forget Fairhaven—"

"Okay, that's enough," Oswald said quickly, clamping a hand over her mouth. She licked his palm and let out an evil chuckle when Oswald rubbed his hand on his pants. "That's disgusting, Veronica."

"You asked for it."

"Like hell."

"Okay," Tomás said, exasperated. "That's does make sense, but why to this extent?"

"She hates our guts," Veronica continued. "She has a big distaste to Parsians, I'm guessing. I saw her give a dirty look to our parents as they were discussing the negotiations," she said. "Maybe she has something against the whole of Pars or just us, but it's something," she said. "I mean, if you take that into account, this is literally the perfect time to do some mega shit, you know? Have both families there, turn on your own people, and then plunder your own country? That's some crap right there," she said, waving away the thought.

"Who said anything about plundering? Or betraying your family? Or racism?" Tomás said heatedly. "I'm just saying that she might be planning on leaving with them and some information or money. She could never plunder," he stressed. Veronica rolled her eyes.

Oswald had stayed silent for most of the conversation, just going through miscellaneous thoughts in his head. Jumping from Butch to the negotiation to this in one day was too much for him. He may be the Crown Prince, but this isn't exactly what he had been hoping for.

For him, he doesn't even know if it's the right choice to make this negotiation. Because there were so many different nations going against Agnia, how many troops would they lose to keep their alliance up to par? How much land and power would have to be given away in the long run? How much did they all have to risk for pure speculation about international pirates and plundering? Oswald shook his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, I'm sorry, are we boring you?" Veronica asked sarcastically. "My bad, I thought plundering was your thing," she continued.

"Veronica, please," he said. "That's uncalled for. Now, could we possibly continue this tomorrow? I don't know if you noticed, but I happen to have a lot on my mind right about now," he said to them both, standing to walk into his bathroom. With a wet rag, he rubbed at his face.

Veronica followed him. "Understandable," she said, pushing herself onto the counter top. "Talk of plundering can become too much after a while," she conceded. He smiled at her and nodded in thanks. He took off his jewelry before going back out into the bedroom.

"Well, unless you'd like to talk about the price of tea, I guess we can call it a night, hm?" Oswald said, sitting back up on his bed. Veronica nodded, swooping in for a hug.

"Alright bro, I'll catch you on the flip side," she said. When Tomás made no move to leave, she touched her fingers and walked out. Oswald cursed her.

"Could I help you with anything else, Tomás?" Oswald said, cocking his head to the side slightly.

Tomás stood up and leaned on the far side of the bed. "Look," he began. "I know that you've suddenly been out under a ton of stress while I've been preparing for this for a couple months now. I know that you're probably underestimating the situations at hand. I also know," he said, stepping closer. "That you don't recognize what's right in front of you."

Oswald stumbled back in his bed, Tomás leaning on the edge of the bed. "Look," he muttered. "I need you. I need you for this situation, especially since you and your sister know about Violeta. I think she's just misunderstood, but then again, I'm biased," he chuckled to himself, monotonous. "You've already said that you would go through with this deal. There isn't much I can do to convince you any further, besides telling you what you already know." Now, he dipped even further, leaning on his arms. "Ignore your father for once." When Oswald was about to retaliate, Tomás held up a hand.

"Again, I tell you I've been preparing this. I planned your meeting, the proposition, the date, the time, the servants— hell, even the room, for Christ's sake," he said, his voice growing louder. He went silent before continuing. "Look," he gritted out. "I know that you probably just have static in your head right now, no offense. Anyone would. When you get a ton of absolute nonsense dumped on you in under twenty-four hours, it's normally hard to encompass, honest. First, you have that terrible experience, then you get that proposition about the alliance, then the revelation about Violeta, and--"

Oswald held out a hand, sitting upright. "Hold on a second," Oswald said, pushing himself to his knees to meet Tomás' eye. "How about you look for a second," he began. Suddenly, he wasn't exactly sure why he was angry. "It's not that it's hard to encompass," he said, his voice flat. "It doesn't even seem real. A powerful country going over the own king's head to go to his son, of all things? What if I died? And now we have a plot that the daughter of said country is plotting against her own? You understand how extreme that sounds, right? Even if I am a realist, that sounds like absolute bull to the highest degree." Oswald finished, sitting on his feet.

Tomás paused, taking a seat on the bed so that Oswald could only see his back. "I mean... you're not wrong," Tomás said to himself. He turned now. "But, ah... it doesn't stop there." Oswald sighed in defeat. "Do you know Corsair?"

Oswald's eyes opened up widely. 'Corsair' was a pirate. Yes, a pirate. He has put out multiple attempts at loosening Agnia's defense and infiltrating. He's also known for breaking into jails along the coast and on other island nations and taking the youngest and strongest people, forcing them to turn into a sailor or to be massacred along with the guards. That was their mindset. His mindset. There were rumors about Corsair and how he has begun to train and plant moles within kingdoms, but just hearing his name come from Agnia's prince, it confirmed the rumors.

"Well," Tomás continued. "Remember the letter that I intercepted of Violeta's? The coding was that of Corsair's. He doesn't know that we know it, but we have one of the moles that he tried to infiltrate with--which he also doesn't know of," Tomás said proudly. "The letter was still quite coded afterwards, but we were able to make the bare minimum to assume that's who she is working with to overthrow Agnia. The only thing is that no one has any idea how they even had contact, especially with Violeta being under almost constant surveillance," he said, popping his knuckles.

Oswald shook his head. "Okay, then," he muttered, rubbing his temples.

Tomás laughed. "'Okay, then'? That's all you've got?" he said, a smile playing on his face. "Ah, anyway, that seems to be the full extent of the situation," he sighed, falling back onto the bed. Oswald rolled his eyes.

"Thank the Lord," Oswald sighed, leaning back on his palms. "Fucking Corsair, of all people. Damn," Oswald cursed under his breath.

Tomás rolled onto his stomach and looked up at Oswald. "Which is why I need your help, of course," he said lightly. He continued to stare at Oswald. "I know I've told you all of this, assuming that you would agree with me and stuff, but are you going to? Officially?" Tomás asked.

Oswald looked away, to the closest wall. "I mean... you've put me in a sticky situation, you know," Oswald said, looking back at Tomás. "But, yeah. I will. Don't worry about it," Oswald said, waving it away.

Tomás pushed himself to sit up, his legs sitting oddly. Oswald looked at him again, now. "Thanks. Er, thank you for not being an ass like other people and sticking to your word, I guess," he said, scratching behind his ear. "It's barely been a day and all, but... well thanks," he said, looking down at his feet. Oswald watched, pleased as he saw Tomás' ears turn pink. It was kind of nice to see his walls fall, even if it was for a second.

"Don't worry about it, I said," Oswald chided. "Now raise your head. You're a king, remember?" Oswald picked up the crown that Tomás had taken off. He put it back on Tomás' head, causing him to sit up, startled. Oswald looked at Tomás with his crown on. "That's a bit better," Oswald said, somewhat joking.

They shared a moment of silence with each other before Tomás cleared his throat. "Well, I better get going. It won't look good falling asleep in your chambers, after all," he said, pushing himself off of the bed. "Again, thank you. For... for everything, I guess," he said before bowing his head. "Goodnight," is the last thing Oswald heard before Tomás left. Oswald didn't even get the time to say it back. He huffed for a second before waving it off. Tomás' ears had still been red.

***********

In this moment, Veronica couldn't have been happier that Oswald didn't know her room was right next to his as she leaned against the wall, a cup to her ear.


	4. Chapter 4

Oswald awoke the next morning to sunlight seeping through the blinds. He groaned and pulled the duvet over his eyes, trying to take in the last remnants of sleep. Flinging the covers off of him, he stood up slowly and ambled over to the restroom. He rinsed away at his face, poking at the bags that began to form under his eyes.

He sighed and ignored them, changing into his Parsian clothes. He decided to leave the jacket, the loose linen more than enough in the stifling heat. Finishing the lacings on his boots, he hesitated before stepping outside.

His first thought was to go to the balcony that overlooked the coast, and that's what he did.

He leaned on the rails, letting the thoughts in his head debate. To think he had been pulled into such a scheme on his first day here. First, the prospect of making an alliance with Agnia (that he already agreed to, no less), then the fact that Agnian royalty has been in correspondence with someone like Corsair in order to overthrow her own country...he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Tomás had mentioned Corsair only to him, now that Oswald thought about it. Corsair was someone high profile, and more of a myth than a man, at that. Agnia has only been his latest conquest, but before here, he had taken over other small islands to slowly increase his arsenal. For him to make Agnia his target, he must have increased his men and weaponry. His true name is unknown, his alias 'Corsair' made from what his first ship had used.

Oswald remembered the tale of Corsair, from only a couple years ago. He had sailed to a small tribal island, killing all who didn't surrender with what little army he had back then and forcing the rest to submit to him. To think he has grown so much since then sent a shiver down his back.

So, what was he supposed to do? Defend Agnia from someone like Corsair? He scoffed at the thought. The alliance was hard enough to deal with, but he had no idea what Tomás expected of him.

What did Tomás expect of him? Or, moreover, think of him? Oswald let himself ponder back to last night's happenings, after his sister had left. He had never thought skin as dark as Tomás' could flush red. He smiled softly to himself subconsciously, studying the people of Agnia waking up to face the day down below him.

"Do you like Agnia that much?" someone said from beside him.

Oswald jumped in his skin from the sudden voice, finding none other than Angel beside him. "Y-Your Majesty," Oswald stuttered. "My apologies, you startled me."

Angel shook his head. "You may drop the formalities, boy. I take it that you've already spoken with my son in private?" He nodded. "Then, if I may ask, what do you think of his proposition?"

Oswald thought about what to say to him. He wanted Angel to trust him a bit, at least. "I've already accepted, but I would prefer if you speak nothing of it to my father. He is a strong-hearted man, you see," he said, keeping his eyes on the shoreline.

Angel nodded, already pushing away from the balcony. "You're safe with me, and with Agnia. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask, son." With that, Angel walked away, his shoes quiet against the stone.

Oswald slumped on the railing when Angel left, feeling only more weight being piled upon his shoulders.

***********

When Tomás had stepped out of his rooms, he had never expected to see Oswald and his father together first thing in the morning. He decided to wait until his father left, fully knowing what they were talking about. It seems like it's the only thing circulating around the palace. Oswald looked serene as he leaned against the limestone railings, his light hair being brushed to the side by the wind.

Oswald slumped against the railing as is father took his leave. Tomás decided to wait a moment before coming up to him. Oswald heard him coming, and turned to look who it was. He was slightly taken aback at how Oswald's features had changed, his face perking up lightly and the pink in his cheeks warming.

"Good morning, Oswald," he said, saddling next to him on the balcony.

"Ditto, I guess," Oswald muttered. "And heads up, I told your father about me agreeing. And obvious no to the other stuff, but I thought you'd want to know," he said nonchalantly, eyes raking the mountain's supple greenery.

"Thanks, then," Tomás replied, glancing out of the corner of his eye. "So, I've been thinking. About last night that is." He could feel Oswald tense up a bit.

"And what of it?" he asked, pushing himself up to a stand.

"Well, the plan. Or, our plan. I don't know exactly what to do besides confronting Violeta," he sighed.

Oswald hesitated. "I say let her continue her advances until we have enough evidence to find out what Corsair may be thinking, and to arrest Violeta of terrorism—"

"Wait, isn't that a bit much?" Tomás protested. "I mean, she's still my sister," he edged.

Oswald shrugged. "Then we'll leave her to you, then. Simple enough. You can decide her repercussions."

"'We'?" Tomás asked.

"Veronica, of course. Please don't think you can get me without her. To help you, at least," Oswald stated. "Now, you say you have a plan?"

"Well, yes," he said, clearing his throat. "A new intercepted note states that Violeta is to meet a man dressed in black early tomorrow morning, which is why I wanted to tell you everything last night. And, if you don't know, Corsair—"

"Is known for wearing black," Oswald said grimly. "So, did you want to crash their party, simply observe, or something else?"

"For now, observe. I want to see if they'll talk about to what scale their attack is going to be," he said, running a hand through his hair. "And I was going to see if you'd like to come with me."

Oswald nodded slowly. "But Veronica isn't. Don't tell her about this, okay? She may love her drama, but I'm not letting her get in this deep," he said resolutely. "So, what time tomorrow?"

"...2 a.m." Tomás said. "At least, that's what the paper says. I recommend getting there a few hours earlier, just in case we get seen fumbling about."

"Fine, sure," he sighed.

Tomás noticed him touch at his eyes and chuckle to himself. The hand that remained on the railing tightened, his already pale skin whitening from his grip.

"Well, as a break from reality, would you like me to show you around the island?" Tomás he offered, feeling his stomach flop in his abdomen.

"Yeah, that'd be nice, actually. Let me just get Veronica; she's much more enthused about the island's delicacies than I, I assure you," he said smiling. He turned to go, leaving Tomás to wait on the ledge.

"Wait, I—" he faltered when Oswald turned to look at him. Light reflected against the darkness of his eyes. "Ah, never mind. I'll wait for the both of you here," he said, turning away. With that, Oswald kept walking.

Tomás can't have him without his sister, can he?

***********

Oswald was pleasantly surprised by the guide Tomás turned out to be. First, he showed them the castle's greenhouse that housed rare flowers and grew produce that the kitchens here used. Veronica was enthused by the amounts of rare flowers, while Oswald hung up on a certain purple orchid.

"That's one of our more expensive ones," Tomás spoke up as he left Veronica to marvel.

"Is it, now?" Oswald wondered, refraining from touching its delicate petals.

"You can go ahead and touch it, you know," Tomás said, grinning. Oswald glared at him from the corner of his eyes and he reached out to caress the petals. One Oswald had touched them, however, it closed around his finger. "A cross-breed between an orchid and a Venus flytrap, however it was made. You might want to take back your finger before it produces acid," he warned. Oswald did so, still surprised by how it acted.

"Truly a collection you have here!" veronica called, coming back over to them. "Where to next, hm?"

Tomás lead them next to a more popular destination, a cave hidden beneath a waterfall. "This is why you told us to wear the informal clothes," Oswald murmured. He watched the water crash down, speechless at how clear it was. Around the river's edge were many types of rocks and grasses, along with shards of colorful glass that had rounded at the edges. "Why is there glass here?"

"Ah, right, I almost forgot. Here you both are," he said, handing them both green glass bottles. "Now, throw the bottle to the other side of this river, against the bed of stone." Veronica hurled hers without hesitation, Oswald following soon after.

"So, why did we just do that?" Oswald asked.

Tomás shrugged, grinning. "No clue. A tradition created by the townsfolk, that's all. Here, follow me inside," he said beckoning them to come closer to the fall. Oswald followed him, climbing the same rocks he did until he walked through the waterfall and into the cave. There were others here, carving their names into the walls, picking up pretty rocks, and whatever else their hearts desired. Veronica grabbed a stone and began carving her name as Tomás pulled Oswald away.

"This is where we have to go tonight," he whispered, trying to seem casual. "Be sure to bring a cloak with you, but leave it hidden at the entrance. Deeper inside the cave is off limits, but has a shelter for us to sit and listen. We must come separately, of course, but we'll go inside together, okay?"

Oswald nodded. "Yeah, it is pretty humid in here, isn't it? Hey, Veronica, you ready?"

"Yeah, coming now," she exclaimed, pushing through the crowds of people. "Here, let me take off this breastplate first. Love looking like royalty and all, but it's starting to stick."

Oswald nodded. "Yeah, now that you mention it..." he trailed off, heaving the piece off of him.

Tomás followed suit, leaving only his pants on. Oswald had to take extra precautions not to look at him.

From there, Tomás lead them to numerous places, from bars to banquet halls. They stopped to eat at noon, and Veronica then persuaded them to go to the beach again. Oswald followed feebly, feeling a bit better that Tomás was with him this time around. Today, there were more people out, and they all halted their activities when they noticed Tomás.

One guy, a bit younger than the three of them, came hurdling up, carrying a surfing board. "Prince! Everyone has been waiting for you to come back to the beach!" he said jovially, thrusting the board into Tomás' arms. "Go on, then. Don't be shy because of your Parsian friends!" the boy joked, pulling a nervous Tomás to the water. As he swam out, Veronica and Oswald exchanged curious glances, looking back to Tomás.

He sat in the water a while as the two of them took up spots near the shore. Suddenly, a large ripple appeared behind Tomás. He laid flat on his board, and pushing himself to stand as the wave came rolling towards him. Oswald closed his eyes out of reflex, but when he looked again he saw Tomás actually riding the wave. There were whoops and cheers from the onlookers on the beach. He lasted for little while longer before the wave closed in on him, sending the board flying.

Tomás came up to the shore with the board soon enough, throwing his head back and slicking his hair down. He planted the board in the sand and came over back to Oswald and Veronica.

He smiled down at the both of them. "How was I?"

Oswald quelled his heart and ignored his want to look down. Instead, he tried to focus on Tomás' face. Unfortunately, it only made his heart beat harder. Looking at how happy Tomás' smile was, Oswald couldn't help but flush.

"Amazing!" Veronica pitched in when Oswald didn't answer quickly.

Oswald nodded fervently. "Yeah, uh, you looked really—"

"Prince Tomás!" A swarm of onlookers had flocked around him. They all began talking at the same time, trying to grab his attention. Now that he thought about it, Oswald did remember that around now was betrothing age for the heirs of Agnia.

Oswald pulled Veronica and himself out of the fray, and pushed her into the water, just like yesterday. They didn't need Tomás to have fun.

A while later, when Tomás was finally alone and the two of them were completely dehydrated, they headed back to their rooms. By the look of the sun, it couldn't be earlier than four or five. Oswald washed up quickly and picked out the closest Parsian clothes in his closet, grabbing the jacket he had left behind this morning. He grabbed a random circlet and skipped that makeup, hoping to make it on time for dinner.

Veronica had somehow beat him, Tomás being the only one missing. Oswald bowed deeply and went to his seat. Tomás showed up shortly after he did, taking a seat across from him. They nodded at each other, and dinner finished quickly, accompanied by small talk. Oswald and Veronica went back to their rooms together, going over everything they saw that day. Once they reached Oswald's room, he forbid her to come in late at night.

"Why, gonna be doing some freaky stuff or something?" she nudged.

Oswald rolled his eyes. "I'm just trained, you rabbit. Now go, get some sleep, for the both of us," he sighed, going into his own room.

That night, no one came to his door, not even Tomás. He stayed awake, and when the time began to come close, he changed into the Agnian garb from earlier and concealed himself with a cloak. It was eleven at night, and so he left to meet Tomás at the cave.

***********

Tomás sat in wait at the entrance of the cave, watching the water crash as thoughts ran rampant in his head. He was surprised to see Oswald come so early. He was draped in a long, black cloak. When he noticed Tomás, he pulled down his hood, and began shedding it. What surprised Tomás more was the sword that clung to Oswald's hip.

When Tomás gave him a look, he shrugged. "For complications. I don't wanna die young, you know," he commented, dropping his cloak next to Tomás'. "Let's head in now, so we don't get caught."

Tomás lead them deep into the cave and behind the cover of rock. They both ducked to the left so that the would both have a clear line of sight.

They both sat in silence, Oswald letting his head rest on the stone. Tomás wondered if he should say anything to start a conversation, or is Oswald would simply shut him down.

"So, what were you going to say before?" he asked.

Oswald looked over. "Pardon?"

"At the beach. They interrupted you, didn't they?" he sighed, relaxing against the cool stone.

"I don't remember," he cleared up quickly.

"Surely, I could jog your memory," Tomás volunteered, glad the darkness could dover his embarrassment. "First, you took a moment to speak, then you began with, 'Yeah, you'—"

"Jeez," Oswald interrupted. "I was just going to say surfing seemed cool was all," he said lightly.

Tomás moved closer to Oswald. "Well, maybe I could teach—"

Oswald clamped a hand over Tomás' mouth and put a finger over his own lips, and came close enough so that Tomás could see him. "I hear something. Don't speak," he whispered softly, he breath coming out hot. He dropped his hand from Tomás' face and leaned out to watch the opening of the cave. Surely enough, Violeta had entered a few moments later.

His hearing is crazy, Tomás thought to himself. He watched Violeta tensely and noticed that Oswald's right hand hovered above the hilt of his sword. To think he knows sword-fighting as well, he chuckled.

*************

Oswald let his hand rest on his sword, not daring to take a chance. He tried to quiet down his heart; he could hear it pounding in his ears. He took a few deep, silent breaths and became still. He tried to delete his presence, almost. He sat for a while in the dark cave before someone followed after Violeta.

It was a man; that much, Oswald could tell. His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. He wore skintight black clothes, and his hair fell long against his back. It was brown, Oswald noticed. Brown hair could mean somewhere in the southwest, but he wouldn't be able to tell until he got a better look. He also wore a sword, short and curved against his hip. He walked in casually, sighing as he came to face the stoic Violeta. He leaned against the stone walls, humming casually to himself.

"I'm glad you could make it, sir. And, I'm glad to say I've done as you've asked," she said, bowing her head. The action made Oswald flinch. "He should be around here somewhere, having seen the destination and time."

Oswald could hear Tomás gasp softly behind him. Oswald looked back at him, and by the desperation and fear swimming in his eyes, he could tell that this was a trap. A trap to capture the Crown Prince of Agnia.

"Now... only to see where he is..." Corsair walked further and further into the cave. He turned the corner to witness both Oswald and Tomás. "Oh, darling, it seems you've outdone yourself," he murmured as he witnessed Oswald brandish his sword.


	5. Chapter 5

Oswald stood, glancing back in concern as Tomás sat still in shock. He must be trying to comprehend how his sister could go to such lengths. However, as worried about Tomás as he may be, his attention was caught by the man in front of him.

Corsair.

He was a tall man, maybe as tall as Tomás. His long hair was clasped behind his back. He had on a mask that covered the bottom half of his face, his gray eyes peeking over, looking down at him. He had on traditional sailor clothing, besides a long necklace that stopped at his stomach. The sword he held at his hip was hooked, the handle wrapped in tough leather. From his eyes to his necklace to his sword, Oswald realized who he was dealing with.

"You're from the Dravnian clan, aren't you?" Oswald asked, his grip on his sword going slack.

"And you're the Crown Prince of Pars. Would you look at that," Corsair said, his voice menacing beneath the mask. "So nice of you to make a guest appearance, you know," he added, drawing out his sword.

Oswald crouched down, pretending to be oblivious to the weapon, and placed his own sword on the ground. "I'm sorry, but I will not let you hurt him. Kill me if you must," Oswald said, going to sit down next to Tomás. He was still silent, staring over at his sister in anguish. Oswald placed a hand on Tomás' arm, disregarding Corsair.

"Oswald," Tomás murmured. "That is my sister, yes?" Oswald nodded silently. "Right. Okay."

Corsair coughed in the silence, and four other men walked in, all holding the same sword as Corsair.

"Are you all Dravnian?" Oswald asked them. He was met with silence as one of them grabbed him by his arm and pulled him to stand.

"Tie the both of them up," Corsair told them, another man pulling Tomás up as well. Corsair's glance lingered on Oswald for a moment. "Don't be too rough, gentlemen," he said before stalking off, Violeta on his heels.

There were two men for the each of them. Their arms were bound in rope behind their backs, and rags were put over their eyes. They didn't push and shove too much, but pulled them along briskly out of the cave. Oswald couldn't tell how far or long they had been walking, but his feet were sore when he was pushed down to his knees. The blindfold was ripped off, and his head was whipped back. There was light outside.

Once his eyesight had gotten used to such light, he searched for Tomás. He was on his knees beside him, his eyes red and jaw clenched.

"Hey," Oswald said softly, ignoring the men's curious ears. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Tomás looked over at him, and the disdain that swam in his eyes softened only for a moment.

"He isn't, if you were wondering," Corsair spoke up, walking to stand in front of them. "Heads up, you might want to consider your surroundings."

Oswald glared up at him before looking around himself. He wasn't surprised to find them setting off from the shore into the sea. Tomás looked around as well, most likely looking for his sister. She wasn't there. 

Oswald turned away from Tomás, looking back at Corsair. He was leaning against a wooden post, languid. He still had a mask on. 

He sighed inwardly. How did a fleeting moment of mystery during his short stay in Agnia wind him up as a hostage? He did his best to not partly blame it on Tomás, since he did discover his sister's disloyalty, but he couldn't help but be angry. However, glancing over at Tomás and seeing the despair on his face quelled his rage enough. 

"So, how long do you plan on keeping us here?" Oswald asked. When he got no response from Corsair, he continued, "Apparently, what they say about Dravnian's is true, then."

Corsair flinched, affirming what Oswald had previously guessed. 

___

Dravnia was once an island nation, just as Agnia was; except, the nation's people had died out 200 years ago. The island was nearly wiped out due to a feud between the two countries. It dates back all the way to the Seven Sea's Treatise, an alliance built out of seven of the most popular and prosperous island nations. 

Dravnia, a beautiful island with welcoming people was up for the seventh seat. This seat would've meant everything to them, especially since they were one of the poorest and youngest countries. However, Agnia, an island rich with history and lavish, was not a contender. The others had chosen Dravnia's poor situation over Agnia's rich one due to the personalities of the royal families and their relationships with their people. They didn't want any 'problems'. 

This infuriated Agnia's current king, Tomás' great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. Because of his jealousy for Dravnia's king, he plotted to ruin their reputation. In order to do this, he hired pirates to completely destroy the island, from the waters to the mountain peaks. In doing so, the pirates pillaged the island, which was not in the King of Agnia's orders. The pirates took their food, forcefully took their women and children, and in a drunken stupor, took the head of the king. 

In melancholy, the remainder of the island grieved for their lost comrades and families. In dismay, the Seven Sea's Treatise had no other option but to give the seventh seat to Agnia. This lead the nation to prosper more than they had ever before. Agnia's population slowly died out, whether it was from starvation, climate, or violence. If one were to go there now, they would only see ruins of past long forgotten. 

As for the present, no one has claimed Dravnian heritage, and no one has been seen who has the physique of a Dravnian. They have light brown hair, tanned skin, and grey eyes; there was almost no outlier of these traits. 

___

Oswald had guess due to his hair and skin, but to think that Dravnian blood still pumps today was a shock to him. He could see Corsair's body go stiff with anger at his comment. 

"And how, exactly, do they describe us Dravnians?" Corsair asked. He pushed himself off of the post and crouched down, looking Oswald in the eyes. 

Oswald almost forgot about how angry Corsair was, for a moment. He was enraptured by the color of his eyes. They were indeed gray, with different shades ringing around his pupil. Oswald had never seen such a color before and had gone silent as he studied it. Corsair had to clear his throat to snap Oswald back to reality. 

"Ah, excuse me, it's just... I don't think I've ever seen gray eyes before. And with such depth, as well... you must be a descendent of many other Dravnians," he said. 

Corsair flinched yet again. "Now what is it that people say about Dravnians?" he repeated. 

Oswald thought for a moment. "That your people are very pretty," he concluded. "Did you think I was going to try and insult you when I'm outnumbered? My, how simple-minded of you." 

Corsair sneered at him. "Pretty, you say? Can you truly say the same thing about this?" He pulled off his mask, clenching it. A long, nasty scar ran far across the right side of his face, from his temple to his cheek. Oswald's mouth thinned. 

"Setting me up for failure is quite unfair, wouldn't you say? And having a scar doesn't equal imperfection either, but now doesn't seem the best time for a pep talk," Oswald muttered. But, while he had the chance, he studied Corsair's face. It was very angular, with dark freckles scattered over his cheeks. His lips were raised in a sneer. 

"My, excuse my rudeness," he spat, standing back up. 

"No need to apologize," Oswald snapped right back. Corsair paused, turning back around. He squatted down, now back to eye level with Oswald. 

"Now, who gave you such a mouth? Do you understand what predicament you're exactly in, or are you mentally challenged?" he questioned, cocking his head. "Whichever answer it may be," he drawled. "I like you much better than most hostages. I might even keep you around a while longer than expected," he scoffed. 

"What an honor," Oswald replied, rolling his eyes. Corsair slapped him, leaving a faint handprint on his pale cheek. Oswald hissed at the pain. Corsair now gripped Oswald's chin, examining the mark he left. 

"Now that," he laughed. "is quite pretty." Unexpectedly, Corsair whipped his head to look at Tomás. "You, over there. What do you think?" Corsair asked Tomás, admiring his work proudly. Tomás lifted his head slowly, catching Oswald's eye. He looked defeated. 

Osawald thought of Tomás's situation for a moment. Months, he's been suspecting his sister, and when he finally had confirmtion, his plan completely fell apart. Oswald offered Tomás a small smile, shaking his head. Tomás let his head fall again, his eyes shadowed. Corsair, annoyed, let go of Oswald's face. 

"How poetic, you two," he joked, walking away. "How understanding of you, Prince of Pars, for not blaming your anger on such as pitiful man such as he," Corsair said, motioning to Tomás. "Poor man chose to be born to the wrong people. Or rather, made the wrong choice," he said. 

"Corsair," Oswald spoke up, anger rising. "Come to me, for a moment," he said, raising his head. Although his arms were tied behind him, he had fiddled around with his back pocket enough to unearth a small dagger he had hidden there. As Corsair had monologued, he had begun scratching away at his rope. Thankfully, with Tomás's head still downcast, he hadn't caught on, which helped Oswald trick Corsair. He had cut the first rope when Corsair sauntered back over. 

"And what do you want, our King-in-Waiting? Is harassment your undoing?" he snarled, crouching down and grabbing Oswald by the hair. Oswald pushed himself to his knees, levelling himself with Corsair. The second rope was undone. 

"Not necessarily. But, I do have a question," Oswald said, wincing at Corsair's grip tightening. "You... are Dravnian. But, how did you become the leader of this group of lackies? And so young at that," Oswald continued. Third rope. Two more to go. "You must be very impressive on the field to earn your title, hm? So, what did you do? Maybe I could even take notes," Oswald said, cutting the next rope. His heart beat loudly. 

"And why would you need to know that for such princely duties, Your Highness?" Corsair asked, looking at the mark he had left on Oswald's cheek. Last rope was undone. 

"Maybe for strategy. Maybe for not. But, after slight consideration, perhaps I'm fine how I am, don't you agree, Corsair?" 

"Perhaps, but that didn't stop you from being captured, did it?"

"It didn't, but it may be able to serve as my saving grace," Oswald said, quickly bringing his weight on top of Corsair, pushing him down. I grabbed his hand and tore it away from myself, grabbing Corsair's hair and holding it taught against his dagger. 

Corsair's breath caught in his throat. The men that came toppling to help him stayed at bay by Corsair holding up his hand. Tomás was watching with round eyes, gaze flashing between Oswald and Corsair. 

Corsair was rigid under Oswald's weight. Oswald was breathing hard, watching everything around him. Everyone held their breath watching the tense situation. Tomás, confused, was watching the both of them in curiosity, wondering what exactly was so terrifying about the situation. 

"You may be right," Corsair breathed. "No need to listen to me."

Oswald laughed. "What a strange situation this is," he said, staring down. 

He had chosen Corsair's hair due to it's length. Similar to Agnian's, Dravnian's also had religious and spiritual ties to their hair, especially the royalty. Looking around now, no one else had hair as long as Corsair's. 

"Both Dravnian and royalty," Oswald said. "This trip gets stranger and stranger every minute." Oswald felt Corsair wriggle beneath him. "Don't. Move. I don't hesitate," he baited. Corsair went still yet again. His ancestry was more important to him than his life, Oswald realized. An even stronger bond than Oswald had seen in Agnia's culture. Oswald moved back, bringing Corsair to a sitting position by his hair. 

"How the tables have turned, hm?" Corsair sneered. Oswald ignored the jab, pulling Corsair up with him. 

"Prepare us a boat, you all. Unless, of course, our dearest Corsair doesn't agree?" Oswald said, twisting his dagger in Corsair's hair. Corsair nodded briefly at his men. They all moved quickly to release an emergency escape boat down to the side of the ship. As the men moved, Oswald pulled corsair along with him to stand near Tomás. Taking the dagger out of Corsair's hair, Oswald twisted his hands in it, making a knot around his hand. Corsair huffed. 

With the dagger, Oswald released Tomás of his restraint. He put the dagger back into the knot of Corsair's hair. Tomás stood up slowly, still staring at Oswald. 

"Oswald...you are...I--" 

"Not the place," Oswald said briefly. Corsair was right; he was angry with Tomás, but he didn't want to let him know that. He had to focus on the task at hand, which was getting out of here. Scanning the horizon, he could see the shoreline. It may take a while, but they would live. They wouldn't follow them to the shore if they cared for Corsair as much as Oswald assumed. 

They all sat in silence as some men prepared the boat and others stood guard. Oswald could feel the anger radiating off of Corsair. Tomás simply stood still. Even if Oswald knew he was beating himself up, he didn't intervene. This is definitely the best place to learn a lesson. Oswald, tired of standing, walked back and leaned on the railing. Corsair leaned back next to him so that his hair wasn't taught. 

"Quite conniving of you. In another life, I would've liked to be on the same side," Corsair sighed. 

Oswald glanced over, surprised. "And what makes you say another life?"

Corsair shrugged. "Kill me, inprison me, isolate me; I don't know what you'll do, but I'm sure you'll do something, won't you?"

"I'm not your mother. I don't care what you do, as long as it isn't harming me or people I care about," Oswald said, thinking back to the people waiting for him. 

"...Tomás?" Corsair said, incredulous. "Quite quick, don't you say?"

Oswald glared at him. "No, you fool. Hurting him would be hurting me, not to be rude," he said quietly, Tomás oblivious to their conversation. "I need all the help I can get for the future. Everyone deserves a helping hand, whatever form it may come in," Oswald said. 

"You're not wrong, but you aren't necessarily right," Corsair said. Oswald glanced over to him now. His eyes were closed. 

"It's ready," one of the men said gruffly. "The boat is ready."

Corsair pushed himself up, Oswald following suit. Tomás followed the two of them over to the side of the ship, where a boat was holstered to the side, with a duffel bag at one end and a few oars at the other. Tomás went in first, then Corsair, Oswald going last. The men slowly lowered them to the water. Oswald cut the rope connecting them to the ship with his dagger, using one leg to push them into the water. He grabbed one of the oars, throwing the second to Corsair. OSwald noticed he had already claimed the duffel. 

Paying it no attention, Oswald started to row, telling Corsair to start as well. "And what will His Highness contribute? His bright personality?" he said rhetorically, in a rude tone. 

"And who said you were optimistic?" Oswald said. "Now row."

The journey was a long one, but thankfully there was no current. It took about six hours of rowing and snide small talk to get to shore. They ended up on a shore Oswald didn't recognize. 

"This is opposite of where we left," Tomás commented, observing his surroundings. "This isn't the nicer part of town. Oswald, be careful; there are worse people than Butch out here." Oswald shivered. Corsair kept silent. 

"We need to do something about the both of, actually," Tomás said, addressing Corsair for the first time directly. 

"We should have kept our cloaks from this morning, hm?" Oswald said, sighing. 

Corsair stepped up to Oswald, unfastening his own cloak. He draped it over Oswald's shoulders, fastening it around his neck. Oswald stood completely still, looking between him and the cloak. Corsair then pulled out his duffel, finding an extra cloak. He pulled it on, pinning his hair into a low bun. When he pulled his hair back, Oswald noticed a new scar that trailed along his crown. He then pulled his cloak up, hiding his face. Oswald followed suit, turning to Tomás.

"Will this do?" Oswald said, pretending that his stomach wasn't turning about Corsair giving him his cloak. 

Tomás nodded, looking at Corsair. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, we don't have any funds, but even if we did, we couldn't use it. We can't bring attention to ourselves here."

"This might be a rude inquiry, but why are you speaking of these people like they are animals? They are all people, even if some of them aren't... nice," Oswald cleared up. 

"Because they will turn into animals if they know we have anything that they may want. They will be ravenous."

"And here I thought this was a prosperous country," Oswald said under his breath, Corsair snorting. "Well! Let us be on our way. I'm sure the others are growing more worried by the minute. So, lead the way," Oswald said, gesturing in front of them to a well-trodden path. 

Tomás began walking, Oswald forcing Corsair to walk in the middle. They walked from the beach into an overgrowth of forest, wildlife scuttering around their feet. The trees hung lowly, a few feet above their heads. They walked quickly, wanting to get out of such a damp, bleak environment. Oswald ignored any shaking in the bushes for the sake of his heart. 

When they emerged from the short passage, they found themselves on a small cobblestone street. There were food vendors littered along the street, children running around with their friends. Adults that weren't working sat in rickety chairs, playing card games or reading thin novels. The buildings were packed together and high, each at least three stories. They all had small balconies; from some, you could see people hanging up clothes or watching potted plants. Oswald looked around, unbelieving the difference that he was experiencing. 

They kept walking, keeping their heads down. They were almost to the main road when a child had run into Oswald, causing the both of them to fall down. The kid clutched his knee, Oswald crawling over to him quickly. He took the child into his lap.

"Let me see your knee, okay?" he asked softly. The kid stared at him dazedly, taking his hand off of his knee. Oswald looked closer, seeing a pool of blood form. He turned to Corsair. "Your duffel, does it have anything? Cloth, ointment, anything?"

Corsair walked over, throwing Oswald a roll of gauze. Oswald nodded, turning back toward the child. He took a piece of the cloak to wipe away some of the blood, working quickly with the gauze. "How does it feel now?"

The kid shook his head. "It doesn't hurt anymore. Are you an angel?" he asked. He reached up, pulling at Oswald's hair. Oswald's eyes widened, now paying attention to the people surrounding him. Men, women, and children alike stared at him. 

Oswald gulped, trying to come up with an excuse to get out of there. He looked back down at the kid. 

He stood, helping the kid stand as well. "I... yes, I am!" Oswald said, smiling down at him. He let the kid continue playing with his hair, the kid's friends coming up too. He crouched down for them all, answering all of their fantastical questions. They were all beautiful, with their dark hair and skin but pretty, bright eyes. Oswald smiled down at all of them when he noticed another child, hanging back but mystified nonetheless. He was picking at the skin on his fingers. He was standing alone amongst the throng of children. 

Oswald stood back up, making his way over to him. He crouched back down to meet equally with her. Then, Oswald noticed; she had brown eyes. Oswald watched her, smiling. She shuffled in place. 

"You're really pretty," Oswald said to her. "We have the same eyes!"

She started smiling too. "Yeah, but you're prettier." She touched his hair gingerly.

"And I beg to differ," Oswald said, ruffling her hair. "I have to get going now, okay? I have many more places to go."

She nodded, letting go of him. Oswald stood, waving back at her and the child from before. He nodded at some of the adults who smiled at him, avoiding the gaze of others. He pulled his hood back up.


	6. Chapter 6

As they kept walking on, Corsair couldn't help think about Oswald's mishap at that small village. It's true that it had been a strange day, but seeing the exchange was definitely unexpected. To think that he could go from someone that would threaten your identity to someone that could play and laugh with children as easily as he did was amusing. 

Now, Oswald had left him to the back, in deep discussion with Tomás.

"He should be killed," Tomás kept repeating. 

"And I beg to differ," Oswald replied angrily. Corsair watched the two of them haggle, bemused. 

"And what makes you so eager to defend him?" Tomás said, glancing over to Oswald. Even though Corsair could tell there was an uncomfortable tension between the two, Tomás's eyes softened looking down at Oswald. 

"Well, for one, he's been compliant thus far, which bad people normally aren't, for the most part," Oswald offered. Corsair had suddenly felt like the charade had gone on a bit too long.

"You two, come here for a moment," he sighed, coming to a stop. "I would feel bad if I kept this up."

Oswald raised a brow but kept silent. "Go on."

"I'm not the only Corsair." He watched a montage of emotions pass over both of their faces. "There are others. We couldn't possibly plunder with just one of us."

"...And why did you tell us? Don't you want the downfall of Agnia?" Oswald asked, unbelieving. 

Corsair grinned. "I told you because I like you, and I don't necessarily want the downfall of Agnia. I just don't like the people here. I, personally, don't like plundering."

Oswald's brows knit. "'Like me?'"

Corsair nodded. "You don't seem like a bad person. I wouldn't like you to get caught up in everything, in all honesty."

Oswald took a moment to find words. "Thank you?"

Corsair chuckled. "Of course. But, I must say something before we continue." Oswald and Tomás nodded together. "I don't want to fight anymore. Not on my side, at least." Oswald and Tomás looked between themselves. "Even if I hold grudges, the people here are innocent. It's not like they currently want to massacre me now, right?" Oswald looked over at Tomás, now. Corsair shifted his weight on either foot nervously. "So? Anything?"

Oswald looked at him quizzically. "No, nothing, actually." He walked up to Corsair now. "Well, if you like me enough, you'll listen to what I tell you, hm? Now, come on. We're close now."

Oswald turned around and began leading the group. Tomás glared at Corsair before following after Oswald. Corsair followed like he was told.

**

All three of them were huffing and heaving, covered in sweat. Tomás took it upon himself to knock on the front door.

The guard that opened the door dropped the staff he was holding, holding the door wider for everyone to come in. He didn't mind the third party, quickly barraging Tomás with questions. Oswald had Corsair hang back. 

"What is your real name? Now," he said urgently. 

Corsair gulped. "It's... it's Virgil."

Oswald grinned. "Now you sound like an old man, don't you?" Virgil's heart jumped. "Now, let's hurry before we get left behind!" Oswald said, pulling Virgil's wrist. 

They had walked through multiple hallways, passed many chambers, before finally making it to the royal dining hall, where both Oswald's and Tomás's family was gathered, including Violeta. Tomás quickly bypassed her to meet Rosa with a warm hug, his parents following suit. 

Oswald let go of Virgil to meet with Veronica. He embraced her like his life depended on it. He felt her cry into his shoulder, and he couldn't help but do the same. He clutched her head to his chest for a while, completely ignoring his father's feeble attempt of interjecting. 

Virgil watched both of their reunions, awkwardly standing to the side. He watched as Oswald held his shaking sister, and as Tomás's parents cooed over him. He could feel Violeta boring holes in his chest. 

Oswald separated from his sister first, turning to look at Virgil. He cleared his throat. "Everyone, this is Virgil. He was a fellow hostage they had held captive on the ship they had us on." 

Virgil's eyes widened as he looked at Oswald. Here he was, in shambles, because of something he had put them through. Veronica, his sister, resembled him closely. They had the same blonde, bouncing curls, and dark brown eyes. Almost practically identical. She was still crying. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry to you, sir, that you have been trapped with those monsters for so long," she said, pressing her face into her brother's arm. "Oz... I'm so sorry."

"You've done nothing wrong, V," Oswald said, stroking her hair. "Absolutely nothing. Here, let us go for a moment, and clean up. Virgil, you can come with Veronica and me for the time being, as they prepare you a room." He waved Virgil over.

Oswald waved away his parents as he motioned for Virgil to follow them. Oswald's rooms were quite close, Virgil discovered. He hesitantly stepped inside. 

Oswald sat on his bed with Veronica. "Tell me what happened, Oz. Where were you?" she sniffled. "Disappearing like that with Tomás was funny at first--" Oswald punched her arm. "--But when you didn't come back for the whole day, and coming so late now--where were you? What happened to you?" she said, stroking the bruise on his face with her hand. 

Oswald looked nervously at Virgil. But, this was Veronica. 

"Veronica... this is Corsair."

Veronica snapped her head to Virgil. She hitched up her dress, grabbing a dagger. Virgil held his hands up. "You both truly are similar," he breathed. 

"Now, now, Veronica, it's okay," Oswald said, taking her dagger away. "It's not just him that's Corsair. There's more. Many more." 

"Oswald," Veronica said. "You tell me exactly what happened when you were gone."

Oswald took some time to explain everything in detail to his sister. From the plan to the escape to the recovery. By the end, Veronica had punched him in the stomach multiple times. 

"You fool! You absolute hooligan! You dimwitted idiot! Why on this green Earth would you do that?!" she insulted. "I may not exactly be crown material, but I have more common sense than that!" She rounded. "And you! What exactly are you laughing at?" She gave him a hearty, loud slap, turning his head. "You dared lay a hand on my brother? You must be an idiot," she spat. "My God, I'm surrounded by fools here. I might just lose a brain cell," she sighed, collapsing onto the bed. "So, I was worried all night for nothing?"

"Well, not for nothing. I would still be on a boat if not for the extra dagger," Oswald sighed. 

"Why, how bright of you," she glared. "Now, go clean yourself; you smell like death." Oswald grinned, in spite of the situation. 

"It's good to see you too, sister. Now, watch Virgil and make sure he stays in that seat until I'm done." Veronica nodded, still angry. Oswald grabbed clean clothes from his closet before locking himself in the bathroom. 

**

Virgil shifted nervously under Veronica's gaze. 

"So, do you know what happened between Tomás and Oswald during the trip?" Veronica asked, going from anger to inquiry. 

Virgil cocked his head. "Why, do they act differently now?"

Veronica shook her head. "No, not necessarily. But, I was wondering what Tomás would've done in this kind of situation. He's not up to par as I thought he was."

"Why, do you like him?" Virgil asked, leaning forward. 

Veronica shook her head. "Oh, no, I'm more interested in women, anyway. It's because it's obvious Tomás has the hots for Oswald," she sighed. Virgil choked on air. "Even you seem better than him, at the moment."

Virgil grinned. "And how is that?"

Veronica motioned to the cloak that laid on the bed. "Dravnian, right? Definitely not Parsian, or Agnian, for that matter. How heroic of you," she scoffed, noticing Virgil's leg begin bouncing. "Uncomfortable?"

"Not in the slightest, madam," Virgil chuckled. "You're just very... inquisitive."

"By nature, I assure you. But, it's quite sad that Tomás didn't seem to be the hero that I thought him to be. He may be chivalrous, but not very heroic."

"And how was he heroic?" Virgil asked. 

Veronica smiled. "Now who's the curious one? Nevertheless, I like talking, so I'll continue. There was, well, pretty much some pedophilic sexual harasser, and he had approached Oz when we were on the beach. He does look a bit younger when he's half-naked, I suppose. But I hadn't noticed his advances while I was in the water. All of a sudden, Tomás shows up, scaring the guy away. He had left before Oswald could thank him, but when I went to go to Oswald's room, I opened it to a rather touchy scene between the two of them. So there I was, thinking, 'oh my, what's going on here?', and Oswald beat me up about it later, but I still think--" 

Oswald clamped a hand over her mouth, ears red with embarrassment. He could hear them the moment he turned the water off, so in a fit of mortification, he charged out to stop her in nothing but a towel. 

Veronica ripped his hand off her mouth. "You may have stopped me, but you seem to make these situations for yourself," she said, laughing. 

His hair hung in front of his forehead. "That's because you always get me into precarious situations," he sighed, slicking his hair back. 

"Yeah, tell that to Mr. Pirate War Criminal over there," she harrumphed. Oswald glanced over, looking at Virgil. He was staring at him, his ears red. He quickly looked back to the ground. 

"Well, let me get changed and the bathroom is yours," he called to Virgil, heading back into the bathroom. 

"You might want to let your hair down... your ears are showing," Veronica giggled. 

**

After both Oswald and Virgil had gotten done with their bath, Oswald lending some of his clothes, they all went back to the dining hall. It was just about dinnertime, both Oswald and Virgil starving. Virgil felt naked without his usual mask, uncomfortable with the fact that everyone could see his scars. 

They were the last to file in. There was a new chair fit awkwardly on one side to account for Virgil, who was now considered a royal guest. Oswald sat down where he normally did, having Virgil sit between him and his sister. He did this so that Virgil had a slight sense of security in his new surroundings. 

Virgil and Veronica quickly began bickering quietly, which Oswald chuckled at. He explained everything to his father, blatantly lying about most of what happened. He and his father went back and forth about it all until dinner was served, the Lavishes preparing more than usual. 

Oswald, Tomás, and Virgil were all ravenous, eating quickly. Dinner, due to the three, was over surprisingly quickly. As everyone let their food digest, they chatted quietly. Oswald was talking to his mother when he felt a foot stomp on his shoe. Oswald snapped his neck to look forward, Tomás glancing at him. 

What? Oswald mouthed. 

Not here, Tomás replied back. Later.

Oswald nodded, slightly perturbed. He continued chatting with his parents until everyone was formally dismissed. He gave Veronica a look which made her pull herself and Virgil away for a moment. Tomás came up shortly after. 

"I just wanted to check in," he said sheepishly. "You really saved us back there, you know."

"Oh, no need to say anything. I understand, I would probably be frozen in that situation as well," Oswald waved off. "Just the thought sends shivers down my spine."

"Ah, thanks. I felt utterly useless back there, in all honesty. Was I glad you were there, uh, in a good way," he laughed off awkwardly. Oswald grinned but didn't say anything. "Uh, where's Corsair?"

Oswald paused but decided to shrug it off. "I have Veronica babysitting him; they seem to get along really well, which is unexpectedly nice."

They stood in silence for a while. "Well, I better be getting back. I should relieve Veronica of her duties," Oswald joked. He turned to go, dashing off to his room. 

"...I hope this didn't ruin your opinion of me," Tomás called, still standing in the same place. 

Oswald shrugged. "Completely unfazed. Now stop worrying and sleep. You look like you need it," Oswald called back. He ignored the satisfaction he felt at the thought of Tomás caring that much about his opinion of him. 

Veronica and Virgil were in his room, for whatever reason. Veronica had taken up the bed, Virgil sitting in the same chair as before. They were laughing about something they had talked about over dinner. They both quieted down when Oswald came in. 

"So," Veronica said, drawing out the sound. "What did you guys talk about?" she said, rolling over on the bed to make space. 

"An apology," he sighed, leaning back. "He wanted to say sorry for not being any help. Nothing juicy, sorry Veronica," he spat when he noticed how dour her expression was. 

"He isn't wrong," Virgil said rhetorically, swallowing when he came across Oswald's glare. 

"You two truly are two peas in a pod," Oswald said to the both of them, pulling his shoes off. 

"If only a certain someone wasn't a war criminal," Veronica sighed dramatically. 

"War pirate criminal," Virgil corrected. 

Oswald stood back up, shrugging off his jacket. "So do you two plan on sleeping here or something like that? My room isn't your living room, you know," he chided. 

Both Veronica and Virgil sat up. "I don't know where my room is," Virgil spoke up. "Can either of you show me?"

Veronica wasn't slow in when pointing at Oswald. "He will. Later, folks," she said, already out of the door. 

Oswald shrugged. "Oh well, I suppose. Come, I know your room number," he said, holding the door out. "It should be just down this hall."

They both walked out into the open hallway, traveling in silence. The sun had already fallen far beneath the horizon. Oswald buried his hands in his pockets due to the cold. The wind blew harshly past them, taking a few wisps of Virgil's hair in tow. His head fell down, probably due to his lack of a mask. 

"It doesn't look so horrendous, you know," Oswald piped up, stopping by his door. "You scars. Think not of them as scars, but badges. You've earned them, haven't you?"

Virgil stuttered as Oswald reached past him to open the door. "Good night to you as well," he said, smiling to himself.


End file.
